Games are no longer about shipping software in a box. The market is moving to a service model where a game can change constantly over time through teh addition of new levels and new challenges. These games are also free to play so a new range of monetization models have been invented. This talk will use a case study approach to describe how design and then deliver games as a service.

Questions answered :
- How to develop and run games for Facebook and other social networks - How to market games virally and through traditional channels - What are the monetization options for "Free" services

In this talk I will report on the lessons learned from working with and studying an independent games developer that faced the fundamental choice of self-publishing its content vs. contracting a publisher for marketing and promotion activities. We here voices from the indie community that the publisher is dead, but is this really the case? I will shed light on this issue by reporting on my insights. Questions answered : - What are the costs of partnering with a publisher? - What are the benefits of partnering with a publisher? - Which marketing activities have significant impact on sales performance? - When should you team up with a publisher and when not?

We're all gamers now. As the full realization of what games can achieve dawns, this sessions asks what is game design? Is it an art or a science? Is there a perfect process, or processes? Should we share our design knowledge in the interests of innovation? Using real-world design examples this talk goes in search of making game experiences better, by design.

Questions answered :
What is game design? Is it really design, or software development? Is there a 'perfect process' that suits all design problems? If there is, what is it? If there isn't, should we try find one by sharing successful design processes? And just why are many game designers so secretive about their craft?

It seems counter-intuitive, but traditional drawing skills are ever more important for the games industry, despite the increasing technology. Drawing is to an Artist what literaccy is to a writer, numeracy to a mathematician and musical score to a Musician. Without a solid ability in the craft of drawing, an artist cannot communicate ideas, tell compelling stories and persuade customers to play games. Without drawing, the games industry will not flourish.

Questions answered :
A passionate plea to put traditional drawing centre stage in the education system. Why is drawing important to the games industry? What do we mean by traditional drawing? How do we teach drawing? Can anyone learn to draw, or is it a mystical gift from the Gods?

It's become clear that Generation G wants to play with content, and if it's not interactive and playful, then content is not working hard enough to engage with the modern audience.
A panel session exploring the ramifications of these trends for the games space.

Fancy something completely different? Despite its incredible growth, the game industry is still dwarfed by the size of the television industry, in terms of time and money spent. What can games learn from television to help them find a larger and more mainstream audience, as well as find whole new areas to exploit? Here, Mark Sorrell, Development Producer for award-winning creative agency Somethin' Else, takes you through an unusual way of looking at this problem, painting a picture of a future for gaming that takes what are often seen as television's weaknesses and turns them into gaming's strengths.

Questions answered :
Why is television such a dominant force in entertainment culture? How can games